Accused thief: 'I didn't steal your hidden cameras'

The man caught on camera scoping out jewelry and carrying a stolen hidden camera said he is not a jewelry thief and did not take the Channel 4 I-Team's hidden cameras.

After three different women came to the Channel 4 I-Team with similar stories of how they noticed their jewelry missing after IGB Residential Cleaning Services cleaned their homes, we set up hidden cameras in an apartment and then hired IGB to clean it.

We also hid costume jewelry in drawers, boxes and in a closet, to see if anyone from the cleaning crew would inspect the jewelry. The other victims said none of their costume jewelry was taken, only the valuable items.

On Dec. 14, the owner of the company, Zach Jones, and his wife, Ithaca Black-Jones, showed up to clean the apartment.

When we returned to pay them, but they were gone, as were three of our hidden cameras.

One of the cameras that wasn't stolen showed Zach Jones searching for and examining our hidden jewelry. He even went into the closet to open and inspect a bag of jewelry.

Our video also captured him holding one of our hidden cameras and closely examining a vent where we had placed a hidden camera.

The Channel 4 I-Team then filed a theft report, and Metro Police repeatedly tried to serve a warrant to arrest Zach Jones but were unsuccessful.

After weeks on not finding Zach Jones, the Channel 4 I-Team went to the home he shared with his wife, Ithaca.

No one answered, and we then reached Ithaca by phone who agreed to come meet us later at the house.

We also asked about how he and his wife left without being paid the day they came to clean our apartment and our cameras were stolen.

"There are some things, sir, that are just contributions," Jones said. "Everybody needs blessings, right?"

We also asked about the video of him looking closely at the vent where he had hidden one of our cameras.

"We have video of you, looking where one of the cameras were. Those cameras are gone, and you're saying you don't know where they are?" Finley asked.

"No sir," Jones said.

We also tracked down Ithaca Black-Jones by phone, who arranged the cleanings for the other victims and for the Channel 4 I-Team.

"I don't know anything about your cameras," Black-Jones said.

"You understand that looks a little suspicious. That you all have been accused of stealing jewelry, and we returned to the apartment and our cameras were gone," Finley said.

"I understand that sir. But I wasn't in the bedroom, so I don't know what was taken out of anybody's bedroom. Thank you," Black-Jones said before hanging up.

The former customers also blame LivingSocial, the popular online coupon service where they and 596 others got the deal for Jones' cleaning company. Jones has an easily found criminal background.

A spokeswoman for LivingSocial sent us a statement, reading in part, "Prior to working with any merchant we complete a thorough vetting process, which includes reviewing a merchant's online presence, researching online reviews and ratings, and checking public data sources to ensure potential partners are in good standing."

The Channel 4 I-Team asked specifically if they do criminal background checks, but the spokeswoman did not respond.